Women’s Agency in Korean Consumer Society in the Korean Drama Little Women

Authors

  • Maria Angela Runkat Petra Christian University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9744/katakita.13.3.395-400

Keywords:

consumer society, determination, structure, struggle, women’s agency

Abstract

This article examines why the three sisters in Little Women Korean Drama strive to fulfill the demands of Korean consumerism and how they navigate the structure of Korean consumer society. Drawing upon Baudrillard’s consumer society theory and Giddens’ agency and structure theory, the study analyzes the reasons of the main characters—Oh In Joo, Oh In Kyung, and Oh In Hye—fulfilling the demands of Korean consumerism, driven by financial struggles, social marginalization, and lack of social power. It also explores the ways they navigate the structure of Korean consumer society by exercising their agency through their actions. The findings reveal that the power of agency produced by social pressure, represented by consumer society, shapes individuals in different ways. The study concludes that agency fosters resilience, determination, passion, allowing people to challenge social limitations and create the life they aspire to.

References

Baudrillard, J. (1998). The consumer society: Myths and structures. SAGE.

Burnasheva, R., GuSuh, Y., & Villalobos-Moron, K. (2019). Factors affecting millennials’ attitudes toward luxury fashion brands: A cross-cultural study. International Business Research, 12(6). https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v12n6p69

CNBC. (2023, January 13). South Koreans are the world's biggest spenders on luxury goods. https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/01/13/south-koreans-are-the-worlds-biggest-spenders-on-luxury-goods.html

Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration. University of California Press.

Wong, K. J., & Park, S. (2022). That’s so Gucci: A comparison of cultural values and the influence of perceived values on luxury goods attitudes and purchase intention among Korean and Dutch millennials. Asian Business & Management, 22(5), 1804–1829. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41291-022-00193-3

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Published

2025-12-30

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Articles

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